High expectations, low impact - Software Engineer Airbnb Employee Review

3.0
Nov 7, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good benefits and pay. Definitely a cool company to work for resume-wise. A good IPO will be a big pay day to employees but if you don't care much about money maybe other companies can be more challenging and better for your career.

Cons

Engineering management is really bad. Managers do not pay attention to career growth given that career ladder is taboo inside the company, nobody talks or knows their position is, so don't expect your manager to advice you much about how to go from level a to level b, c ... etc. When people get bored at their current position they either switch teams or branch out to management (lateral moves) which feeds back into the problem where management focuses on reporting green numbers to upper management.

Explore other reviews about Airbnb

5.0
Jun 25, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good time working there lots of cool people

Cons

overly-design-led, constant changing priorities based on whims from global leads

5.0
Jun 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Airbnb's mission of creating a world where anyone can belong anywhere strongly resonates with me. I'm excited by the opportunity to build products that operate at global scale and directly impact millions of users. My background in full-stack engineering, distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, and AI-powered applications aligns well with Airbnb's focus on innovation, reliability, and exceptional user experiences. I am particularly attracted to Airbnb's engineering culture, emphasis on ownership, and commitment to solving complex technical challenges while delivering meaningful value to hosts, guests, and communities worldwide.

Cons

One challenge of working at Airbnb is the complexity that comes with operating a global platform at scale. Engineering teams must balance reliability, performance, compliance, and user experience across many markets and stakeholders. While this can make development and decision-making more complex, it is also one of the aspects that makes the work technically interesting and professionally rewarding.

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